Maxwell Ocansey Arthur, a management consultant suggests that there are more viable airlines that the government can partner with for a new national airline.
Speaking on government’s move to partner with EgyptAir to establish a new national carrier, he called for more consultation on the part of government.
“Why can’t they engage? If you want to form an airline,;why can’t they engage people so that we can think about it and come out with something viable.”
Maxwell Ocansey
He then called on government to interact with experts and various stakeholders on the move.
“I think the government should get aviation experts,; let them put their heads together, give them about one month with an alternative,;call a national debate and let us debate.”
Maxwell Ocansey
This comes on the back of a signed MOU between Ghana and Egypt in 2020 to establish a new airline for the country.
EgyptAir, financially illiquid
Also speaking on the new airline move, Michael Foli, former pilot and an administrator at Ghana Airways, kicked against Ghana government’s decision to partner EgyptAir as a strategic partner for the establishment of a new national airline.
He was of the view that EgyptAir is currently not liquid to make the venture viable.
“What I know is that EgyptAir itself right now is in financial problem. In 2020, EgyptAir got about US$318 million from the government to run the airline and in 2021 they are asking for the same money. What do they want to use the money for? To pay their wages, to pay for loans and to pay the cost of leasing aircraft. So, this is a company that needs money to do these, what are they going to do to help us?
“They are talking about four Boeing 737, you don’t start an airline with four aircraft, so they are probably going to offload their surplus aircraft on us and then they will be repatriating all the money we make to pay for those aircraft.”
Michael Foli
Government interference collapsed Ghana Airways
Touching on the collapse of the Ghana Airways airline, Mr. Foli revealed that it was due to it becoming state owned.
He revealed that Ghana Airways commenced with a partnership and later became an independent airline. He then disclosed that the move from the privatization of the airline to it becoming state own contributed to it collapse.
“We fell into this cycle of when government decides to run an airline and use routes that are not essentially profitable. But just because a politician says fly to this country we have to fly there.”
Michael Foli
Moreover, he disclosed that airlines that are owned by countries are essentially operated by politicians. He stated that they are not seasoned managers when it comes to airline activities and as such do not make them ideal managers.
“They will essentially ask to use some roads that are not profitable. For instance, we will be asked to fly an aircraft to Mecca and then we will return with an empty flight back and I believe very strongly that we were not being paid for this service.
“We were flying peace keepers, UN sponsored flights. I believe that the UN was paying for this but the money was not being given to us.”
Michael Foli
